A Few Steps to Quicker Turn Times

Appraising is an always changing profession. Often, it seems, appraisers are asked to supply extra information or have steps added to their appraisal process. All to guarantee the end user is presented with the best information available. To keep up with the constantly changing requirements, PSM Appraisals, LLC is always researching new tools and improving processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our clients. At PSM Appraisals, LLC we know that time is important to everybody, so we've listed a couple of tips you can do to lessen turn times whenever you order an appraisal from PSM Appraisals, LLC.

Are you ordering appraisals online?: When you order online, you receive automatic e-mail confirmations that the request was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This is the single biggest time saver available to both of us! We don't have to manually enter information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether the order was received.
Complete and accurate subject property information is crucial.: Being just one number off on the street address can really add unnecessary time to an appraisal assignment. Unique identifiers like a tax parcel number, plat map number, or subdivision name is helpful information to pass long with the assignment. Even a list of recent area sales is welcome — remember, however, that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.
Are you letting us know up front any characteristics of the property that might make it unique?: It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter house. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how differing features add to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. Let us know up front when ordering your report if there are unique elements of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's had a recent addition put on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's predisposed to flooding. These are things we would find out on our own anyway, and knowing them early on makes your report arrive more quickly.
What are you doing to make the homeowner of the home aware of what to expect?: One of the most time consuming steps of the appraisal process is confirming an appointment with the homeowner. Some current homeowners are understandably uncomfortable with the notion an unknown persons wants to come in their house, look around, and make copious notes. Having the thought that it will make the house appraise for more money, a few homeowners feel they should make the place spotless before the appraiser comes by. And will delay the inspection until they have cleaned.

Hearing from you -- someone they are working with on their loan -- a little bit about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't make it more likely their sale will close, and likely decrease the appraisal inspection time. I encourage you to point your customers to our website, where we have many pages of relevant information for homeowners as well as others describing the appraisal process. Have them call us if they want to familiarize themselves with the staff and our services. And tell them it's to their advantage to set the appointment as quickly as possible!
Use our website to follow your report's status.: No more phone and fax tag. Up-to-the-minute status updates are available online, anytime, 24/7. As each important milestone in an assignment is completed, that information is instantly available to you online. There's no easier or faster way to keep track of the status of your report.